Tag Archives: Bedford Hills Homes for Sale

Bedford Hills Homes for Sale

Top 5 states with the most and least foreclosures | Bedford Hills Real Estate

 

CoreLogic’s (CLGX) new national foreclosure report shows there were 43,000 completed foreclosures in the United States in February 2014, down from 51,000 in February 2013, a year-over-year decrease of 15%.

“The stock of seriously delinquent homes and the foreclosure rate are back to levels last seen in the final quarter of 2008,” said Anand Nallathambi, president and CEO of CoreLogic. “The shadow inventory has also declined year over year for the past 3 years as the housing market continues to heal,  including double-digit declines for the past 16 consecutive months.”

There were 43,000 completed foreclosures in the United States in February 2014, down from 51,000 in February 2013, a year-over-year decrease of 15%. On a month-over-month basis, completed foreclosures decreased 13.1% from 50,000 in January 2014.

The states with the highest number of completed foreclosures are:

 

5) Georgia

34,000 completed foreclosures for 12 months ending February 2014

Serious delinquency rate: 5%

 

4) California

37,000 completed foreclosures for 12 months ending February 2014

Serious delinquency rate: 2.6%

 

3) Texas

39,000 completed foreclosures for 12 months ending February 2014

Serious delinquency rate: 3.6%

 

2) Michigan

50,000 completed foreclosures for 12 months ending February 2014

Serious delinquency rate: 3.6%

And the state with the most foreclosures is….

 

 

 

http://www.housingwire.com/articles/29552-top-5-states-with-the-most-and-least-foreclosures

Consumer Confidence and Home Price Data Nod to Stronger Growth | Bedford Hills Real Estate

 

American consumer confidence surged to a six-year high in March and house prices rose solidly in January, positioning the economy for stronger growth after a soft spot attributed to bad winter weather.

The upbeat outlook, however, was dimmed somewhat by other data on Tuesday showing new-home sales at a five-month low in February, partly because of the cold weather.

“The economy is showing signs of shaking off the weather effect. We are going to get a big lift to second-quarter growth from the weather,” said Ryan Sweet, a senior economist at Moody’s Analytics in West Chester, Pa.

The Conference Board said its index of consumer attitudes rose to 82.3, from 78.3 in February. That is the highest level since January 2008, just as recession started to take hold, and it beat economists’ expectations for a reading of 78.6.

The jump in confidence bodes well for the economy, even though consumers were less upbeat about the labor market.

An unusually cold and snowy winter has held back the economy, disrupting activity that includes hiring, spending and manufacturing. Growth in the first quarter is expected to have slowed considerably from the fourth quarter’s annualized 2.4 percent pace.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/26/business/confidence-and-home-price-data-point-to-stronger-growth.html?_r=0

Remarkable River Rock Home on an Ultra-Small Foundation | Bedford Hills NY Homes

 

It looks like something straight out of a Photoshop contest – an impossibly small-footprint residence on a tiny jagged rock jutting out from the middle of a river, yet it is entirely real.

river home close up

 

This house has survived its its precarious semi-cantilevered position for nearly half a century, withstanding the weather of the Drina River in Serbia and attracting attention from locals and tourists alike.

 

http://homes.yahoo.com/news/remarkable-river-rock-home-ultra-small-foundation-235852209.html

The Windy City’s top 12 suburbs | Bedford Hills Real Estate

 

Illinois real estate took a beating this winter, and Chicago is at the epicenter of the housing slowdown. Or is it?

Nestled next to Lake Michigan and home to both the Cubs and White Sox, the Windy City is one of the biggest and busiest cities in the nation.

Chicago Magazine complied a list of the 12 best suburbs in Chicago, comparing the cities based on variables like crime, homes, education and city life.

“The Chicago city market is booming, with extremely low inventory levels and high buyer demand causing bidding wars and fast market times. It’s amazing how much the marketplace has turned from a few years back,” Matt Farrell, president of the Chicago Association of Realtors, said.

Heading into the spring season, “Buyers are ready to move and as homes come on the market, they are aggressively making their best offers,” Farrell added.

“Median pricing is up, signaling a strong market on the rise. As sellers get their homes show-ready for a spring market, we believe these homes, too, will move quickly, if priced right.”

Using the list from Chicago Magazine, we’ve added in the median home price from Zillow‘s February home value index to bring you the 12 best Chicago suburbs:

Cook County

Orland Park $239,700

Named “one of the best places to live” by the magazine.

Northbrook $485,500

Northbrook is updating its Skokie Boulevard Corridor, which will be filled with new stores and apartments.

Wilmette $611,500

Wilmette is now accepting applications for tree planting, helping add to the village’s beauty.

Barrington Hills $732,600
This suburb is home to 10 key historic sites, allowing visitors to take a self-guided tour and see what life was like more than 100 years ago.
Du Page County

Wheaton $293,800

Wheaton just launched a new edition of the “Wheaton Remembers” video series, where Wheaton Community High School alumni recall what it was like to be a high school student in 1960s Wheaton.

Hinsdale $782,700

Located just 21 miles west of Chicago, this city just launched a new “Block Watch” initiative to help protect against crime.

Lake County

Highland Park $473,300

Moody’s Investors Service issued a Aaa rating on the city’s planned general obligation bond issue, affirming this rating on all outstanding debt.

Lake Bluff $558,800

Lake Bluff is the fourth-happiest seaside town as well.

Kane County

Geneva $286,500

This city also the home of Class A minor league Kane Country Cougars, if you’re in the mood for a hometown baseball game.

 

 

http://www.housingwire.com/articles/29384-the-windy-citys-top-12-suburbs

Find an Apartment in the Top Cities for Singles | Bedford Hills Real Estate

 

If you are single and looking for the best possible place to live, you should make your way to the sunny shores of Santa Barbara, according to Kiplinger’s recently released list of the top 10 cities for singles.

The city along California’s Central Coast—home to the University of California, Santa Barbara—sits atop the list thanks to “a financially fit populace [making for] a highly eligible dating pool,” Kiplinger reported.

Many of the other hotspots for singles are also located in college towns. If you would like to settle in a singles hotspot, we’ll play matchmaker by giving you a heads-up on what you can expect to find in its rental market.

Here are four of Kiplinger’s top 10:

Santa Barbara

Willow Springs in Santa Barbara has one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments for rent that range from $1,740 to $2,410 per month. New units are being added to the community along with amenity upgrades aplenty. If you wind up at Willow Springs, you will be just minutes away from the ocean. The complex also features a patio and pool area perfect for relaxing with a date.

 

 

http://www.realtor.com/news/apartments-top-cities-singles/

Metro-North Trains Running Smoothly After Harlem Explosion | Bedford Hills Real Estate

 

Service on Metro-North has not suffered many residual effects Thursday as a result of the explosion in Harlem Wednesday morning.

The explosion that killed seven people occurred adjacent to tracks along Park Avenue at 116th Street, knocking debris onto the tracks and shutting down all service into and out of Grand Central Terminal. Metro-North crews were able to restore service to the New Haven, Harlem and Hudson Lines prior to the evening rush hour Wednesday.

Trains are being run through 116th Street as per usual, according to Metro-North spokesperson Aaron Donovan. While trains normally travel through the area, they are traveling at 45 mph through 116th Street instead of the normal 60 mph while work is being done at the site. This is causing some train delays of between 6 and 10 minutes.

Donovan said that the railroad was able to get train service back up quickly by coordinating with the New York City Fire Department, New York City Police and Metro-North Police.

“It was all hands on deck. We devoted as many resources as we had to,” Donovan said, adding that there were at least a dozen crew members out on the tracks clearing debris.

MTA crews were not out on the tracks while the fires were still blazing. Members of the FDNY made sure that the area was safe before allowing MTA crews to work.

“Once they authorized us to go in, we were able to begin the clearance of debris,” Donovan said. “Overall it went as smooth as one could hope given the tough circumstances.”

Service was first returned to the New Haven and Harlem lines because they run on the two tracks furthest from where the explosion occurred. While those trains began running, crews continued to clear debris on the closest two tracks, and were able to restore service to the Hudson Line about an hour later.

Debra Oria of Danbury, Conn., traveled to the city for a work meeting, and had to take a subway from Grand Central to Woodlawn Station in the Bronx to take a Harlem Line train home. She said the trip took twice as long as it normally would, but praised Metro-North’s efforts to make traveling as easy as possible.

“When we arrived at the Woodlawn station, there was a line of Metro-North workers eight across. They just kept talking to people, telling us what was going on,” Oria said. She said employees worked to direct commuters and ease the crowds. “I thought it would be crowded on the platform, but they had great crowd control. It was good communication.”

 

http://armonk.dailyvoice.com/news/metro-north-trains-running-smoothly-after-harlem-explosion

How Many Homeowners Are Still Underwater? | Bedford Hills NY Homes

 

With the help of low inventory levels and unprecedented actions by the Federal Reserve, higher home prices have been a life preserver to the real estate market. Millions of Americans are no longer underwater on their mortgages, but millions of homeowners are still struggling in the wake of the housing bubble.

In the fourth quarter of 2013, the national negative equity rate declined to 19.4 percent of all homeowners with a mortgage, according to Zillow’s latest Negative Equity Report. The reduction comes after the previous quarter witnessed the fastest decline on record. In comparison, 27.5 percent of homeowners with a mortgage were underwater one year earlier. The peak was made in the first quarter of 2012, at 31.4 percent.

The national negative equity rate has now declined for six consecutive years. In fact, this is the first time in years that the rate dipped below 20 percent. Almost 3.9 million homeowners were freed from negative equity during the final three months of 2013. While this is a significant improvement, many people are still underwater, especially in certain states. Nevada leads the nation with 34 percent of borrowers owing more than their homes are worth, followed by Georgia at 32 percent.

 

http://wallstcheatsheet.com/politics/economy/how-many-homeowners-are-still-underwater.html/?ref=YF

Mortgage Loan Rates Slid Last Week, Mortgage Applications Rise | Bedford Hills Real Estate

 

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released its weekly report on mortgage applications Wednesday morning. It noted an increase of 9.4% in the group’s seasonally adjusted composite index, following a drop of 8.5% for the previous week. Mortgage loan rates fell slightly on all types of loans.

The seasonally adjusted purchase index increased by 9% from the prior week’s report, but it is 19% lower year-over-year. On an unadjusted basis, the composite index increased by 11% week-over-week. The unadjusted purchase index increased by 12% for the week.

Adjustable rate mortgage loans account for 8% of all applications, unchanged from a week ago.

The MBA’s refinance index increased by 10%, after declining 11% in the previous week. The share of refinancings fell slightly to 57.7% of all applications, the lowest level since last September.

The average mortgage loan rate for a conforming 30-year fixed-rate mortgage increased from 4.53% to 4.47%. The rate for a jumbo 30-year fixed-rate mortgage declined from 4.47% to 4.37%. The average interest rate for a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage decreased from 3.56% to 3.52%.

 

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/mortgage-loan-rates-slid-last-122559352.html

Can You Afford to Buy a House? | Bedford Hills Real Estate

 

With the help of low interest rates and intervention from policymakers, the housing market has been one of the most improved areas of the economy. However, a combination of higher rates, rising home prices, and stagnant wages is building affordability issues.

The cost of homeownership is on the rise across the nation. The estimated monthly house payment for a median-priced, three bedroom home purchased in the fourth-quarter of 2013 surged 21 percent to $865, compared to $714 from a year earlier, according to the latest report from RealtyTrac. The firm analyzed 325 U.S. counties and included other factors such as insurance, taxes, maintenance, and tax deductions. Among the 15 most populated counties analyzed, the estimated monthly house payment jumped an average of 34 percent from a year ago.

“A potent combination of rapidly rising home prices and the often-overlooked but significant uptick in interest rates in the second half of 2013 caused the monthly cost of owning a home using traditional financing to jump substantially in many markets over the last year,” said Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac, in a press release. “The monthly cost of owning a home is still less than renting in the majority of markets, but the cost of financed homeownership is becoming dangerously disconnected with still-stagnant median incomes, driven not by shoddy underwriting practices this time around but by investors and other cash buyers who are not tethered to the typical affordability constraints.”

 

 

http://wallstcheatsheet.com/politics/economy/can-you-afford-to-buy-a-house.html/?ref=YF